A band like Maus Haus is almost too big for a place like the Knockout. With six members and an eclectic oeuvre born from an equal number of headstrong musical minds working--miraculously--as one, the cozy dive bar will rumble this Friday under layers of krautrock synths, agile drums, saxophones, and wandering, melodic vocals that refuse to settle down.

You won't mistake Maus Haus' unnameable, untameable sound for anything lo-fi, for anything remotely garage, or for anything predictable; just check out the hard-touring local band's solid collection of tunes Lark Marvels for the commanding beat on "Rigid Breakfast" (that might make you headbang), or the bizarro march of "Irregular Hearts", which is dredged in drum rolls and grinding keyboards. Catch them live and you'll witness a band pushing itself to explore sonic realms unnavigated by any other San Francisco band.

Sleeptalks opens. 10 pm, $7, 21+ @ The Knockout, 3223 Mission St. @ Valencia.